Police arrested Jorge Cartagena, 53, of 1299 Commonwealth Ave. in Allston, and charged him with 12 counts of receiving stolen property over $250 after they seized stolen bikes he allegedly stashed in the area of Cambridge Street and Hovey Avenue. Police said the bikes were found locked to parking meters and street signs.

None of the bicycles had been reported stolen, but investigators were able to identify two owners after they found registration stickers on the bikes. Two Gary Fisher high-performance mountain bikes, which are typically worth at least $2,000, were among those recovered in the case.

“A lot of times people don’t even report stolen bikes because they think it’s a lost cause,” said Detective Rob Lowe, who made the arrest along with his partner Detective Kenneth Mui.

The detectives believe Cartagena used bolt cutters to steal the bicycles off city streets and then moved the bikes to other locations, locking them to meters and street signs with his own bike locks while he waited to sell the stolen goods.

“The key is to keep your serial number,” said Mui, who noted they often recover many stolen bikes that thieves try to sell on Craigslist.

Wicked Local Cambridge

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